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Unit 23 LAA Gathering and preserving Forensic Evidence
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2021-23 Unit 23 LAA Gathering and preserving Forensic Evidence UnknownI work for a company called ForSci Ltd as an apprentice forensic technician at the Level 3
level. The business collaborates with international and domestic police forces, as well as
public and private organisations, all over the world.
Gathering and preserving forensic evidence
Scientific procedures and methods used to determine the who, what, when, where, and how
of a crime are included in forensics.
The scene of the crime, forensic science analysis, interpretation of analysis, and forensic
science and the law and criminal justice system are the four main phases of an investigation.
Who:
The investigation needs to know who the victim is . The victim may be alive and able to give
evidence or the victim may need to be identified. The investigations need to also know who
the perpetrator is (Meunier et al. 2017, 265). This may be difficult if they are not present at
the scene. Therefore, the collection of forensic evidence is important to provide information
to narrow the perpetrator down to one individual. It is also important to know ‘who’ the
witnesses are, to provide further information to help ‘paint the picture’. They may have seen
or heard something in relation to the crime (Meunier et al. 2017, 265).
When:
In order to establish when, investigators need to produce a timeline of events. They should
start before the crime took place and look at movements after the crime again to help ‘paint
a picture’ (Meunier et al. 2017, 265). The investigators are always looking back at the crime
as an event that has already happened, so they must gather as much information as
possible to try to understand the events that took place (Meunier et al. 2017, 265) .
Where:
Investigators need to understand where the crime took place (Meunier et al. 2017, 265). For
example, where did the perpetrator enter the property, where did they go and where did they
leave from? If so, there may be another crime scene where the murder took place. This may
contain very important forensic evidence (Meunier et al. 2017, 265).
What:
Finally, investigators need to understand what the motive was behind the crime. If there was
one (Meunier et al. 2017, 265). They will gather information about past relationship
connections between victim and perpetrator to help understand why the crime occured. They
will also record the modus operandi (the method of operation) (Meunier et al. 2017, 265). It
is a term used by law enforcement authorities to describe the particular manner in which a
crime is committed. This can be particularly helpful in connecting different crimes where
there are similarities between them, and producing a profile of the perpetrator (Meunier et al.
2017, 265).
Importance of the crime scene:
The presence of different police officers, scientists, and rescue services at a crime scene is
crucial.
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,2021-23 Unit 23 LAA Gathering and preserving Forensic Evidence Unknown
The scientific support unit's organisational structure is crucial because it enables individual
teams to work on specific tasks, improving the effectiveness of work at crime scenes. The
FAO and SOCO provide examples of this. This is due to the fact that the FAO would have to
handle one task—securing the crime scene and the evidence—while also possibly serving
as the crime scene's guard. This contrasts with SOCO, who arrive at the crime scene later
and are tasked with gathering evidence. Due to the difference in responsibilities, each unit is
free to concentrate purely on its tasks. This demonstrates the value of individual units
because they can concentrate on one set of responsibilities rather than a variety of
responsibilities.
The ability of crime scene personnel to perform specific jobs is another factor in their
importance. This is evident in the work of the forensic scientists, such as the pathologist and
the archaeologist. These two roles support the investigation process because they are
specialised in certain characteristics. The pathologist is an expert in analysing human tissue
and body parts, which can help the investigation in ways that regular forensic scientists
can't. This is also true of archaeologists, whose area of expertise is the analysis of human
remains.
Part A.P2, A.M2
Restriction of the scene and restriction of access:
Anyone who enters could potentially contaminate evidence and the safety and security of
individuals must be considered. Various delicate pieces of evidence at a crime scene must
be preserved in their original condition. As a result, restriction at the crime scene is crucial to
the process of conducting an investigation.
Only professionals are permitted access to the crime scene. These experts may include
forensic and SOCO scientists. This is done to ensure that anyone working at the crime
scene is qualified to avoid destroying any evidence or the actual crime scene. These experts
must only visit the crime scene during designated times, which must be noted in a log. This
is done to prevent unauthorised personnel from entering the crime scene and to ensure that
everyone there is responsible for the events that occur there. A log is made as a result of
this. This is shown in figure 2
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, 2021-23 Unit 23 LAA Gathering and preserving Forensic Evidence Unknown
Figure 2 an example of a log (Evidence, n.d.)
Part A.P1, A.M1
Observing and recording of the crime scene/Route of evidence from crime scene to
court (SOCO,SSU, forensic laboratory, court)
The SOCO would have to first examine the crime scene and then locate evidence from a
distance before even entering the crime scene.
The SOCO creates a risk assessment of what they can see at the crime scene before
entering. For instance, if an unidentified powder is visible from outside the crime scene, the
SOCO would outline any potential concerns and suggest strategies to mitigate them. This is
done to give the SOCO a better understanding of any potential risks present at the crime
scene as well as strategies for avoiding them while conducting an investigation.
The SOCO would walk around the crime scene after the initial observation of the crime
scene and risk assessment were over, sketching up various aspects of the scene and taking
photos of it. The SOCO will have proof of the crime scene in its original condition as a result
of this action. This is crucial because, after the evidence has been collected, the crime scene
will have changed dramatically. If the original state of the crime scene is known, they can
utilise it in conjunction with the information from the evidence to draw conclusions that can
be presented in court.
The SOCO would walk around the crime scene after the initial observation of the crime
scene and risk assessment were over, sketching up various aspects of the scene and taking
photos of it. The SOCO will have proof of the crime scene in its original condition as a result
of this action. This is crucial because, after the evidence has been collected, the crime scene
will have changed dramatically. If the original state of the crime scene is known, they can
utilise it in conjunction with the information from the evidence to draw conclusions that can
be presented in court.Part A.P1, A.M1, A.P2,A.M2
Documentation:
A forensic investigation involves numerous steps, procedures, and safety precautions, such
as the use of authorised personnel and specialists, documentation techniques, risk
assessments, and the gathering and preservation of evidence. The investigation team
discusses and weighs all available information to find key witnesses, suspects, persons of
interest, and motives. They also look for any related offences or crimes in areas where
intelligence needs to be developed to fill any knowledge gaps.
It is crucial in a forensic investigation to use documentation techniques to maintain a record
of data throughout the entire investigation. In many instances, inadequate documentation
could result in the admission of inadmissible evidence in court, and unrecorded or unnoticed
evidence might consequently allow a criminal to get away with crime.
The cordon log, which keeps track of everyone who enters and leaves the scene, is an
example of a crucial document. It's crucial because it reveals precisely who, when, and why
people were present at the scene. Having a record of them there would rule them out as a
person of interest in situations where SSU, fire fighters, paramedics, and other emergency
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